To The Last Rose
by lockheartilly
Summary: COMPLETED! -- Selphie waits for a rainbow, becomes sick, and Zell takes care of her. A love blooms, just as a rose would. Slowly, but noticeably. ZELLPHIE!
1. Yellow Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
Authors Note: This is a Zellphie. If you don't like it, don't read it. They're kind of OOC, but then you can see them actually doing this..? erm, yeah... So... just read and enjoy! Don't forget to review some suggestions. Or if you just want to tell me you like it, go ahead! :D (if you don't like it, don't bother.)  
  
*** Ch. 1 - Yellow Rose ***  
  
The dark clouds hung ominously in the once bright and sunny sky. The garden was sitting where it had first pulled out of the earth, on the same island as the town of Balamb. Ultimecia was gone, and while everyone else celebrated, there was one who sat out in the Quad, emerald gaze locked on the darkness rolling in from above.  
  
"Selphie..? Selphie, what are you doing out here? The parties back inside," a deep voice questioned the small girl. She spun on her heels and turned to face Irvine. He stepped over and draped his arm over her shoulders, steering her back inside.  
  
"Ah, but I wanted to see when it was gonna rain. It'll be bad if it rains during the celebration," she half-whined, her lower lip protruding out in a puppy dog pout. Irvine just laughed at this and they returned to the party.  
  
***~***  
  
The next day had come quickly. All of the party decorations that were set outside had been ruined because of the rain that had come overnight. But no one was worried about the decorations. Selphie had gone missing since some time that morning. Squall had sent Irvine, Zell, and Quistis to search for her, but each were coming back with nothing.  
  
Of course, none gave up and they were all off searching again. It was starting to rain harder, and the hopes of finding her inside the garden were dwindling. Later in the afternoon Squall finally spotted her from his window, sitting out in front of the garden. Zell stepped into the office and opened his mouth to tell him he hadn't found her yet when Squall spoke.  
  
"She's at the Front Gate. Go get her, Zell. And take an umbrella." It wasn't really a suggestion, it was an order. He didn't need both of them getting sick out there. Zell just nodded, his mouth still hanging open, and left the office.  
  
He stepped out of the gates to see Selphie sitting there on the steps, soaked down to the bone with no jacket. She had goosebumps all down her arms and legs, but she didn't seem to want to move.  
  
"Selphie? What are you doing out here? You're gonna get sick, Selph." He held the umbrella over her head and smiled down at her when she glanced up at him. She smiled in return before turning to look back over at the clouds. Zell's smile fell and he squatted down next to her, making sure the umbrella was still held over both their heads.  
  
"I want to see the rainbow," she spoke quietly to him, he almost had to strain to hear her. Her arms wrapped around her bare legs and she hugged them closer to her chest. "I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can see the rainbow."  
  
Zell blinked a few times before pulling his jacket off (with trouble, since he had to switch hands with the umbrella) and setting it on her shoulders in hopes that it would warm her at least a little. "Squall wants you to come back inside, but... I'll wait with you," he said with a smile, sitting down on the wet steps. It didn't matter to him now.  
  
i// She was sitting there in the rain, staring up at the dark clouds that held all the rain falling. Little Zell came running out, big umbrella held tightly in both his hands. "Sephy! What are you doing out here? Matwon wants you to come back inside!" He cried out, one arm extending out for emphasis.  
  
Little Selphie turned to look back at him and smiled. "I wanna see the wainbow!" Her green eyes sparkled at the attempt at the word rainbow and she turned back around. Little Zell just blinked a few times before sitting himself down next to her and looking up at the sky.  
  
"Okay, I'll wait with you..." \\/i  
  
Soon the rain came to a light drizzle, and the clouds began to part. Selphie's eyes began to grow and her body leaned forward, her excitement growing as the colors began to show. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue... they were all there! "The rainbow! It's so pretty," she commented on the beautiful array of colors then turned to look at Zell.  
  
He nodded to her and stood up, reaching a hand down towards her to help her up. She gladly took it and stood, then the two turned and walked back towards the Garden, Selphie happily chatting away about how beautiful the rainbow was and the fact that it was worth it, sitting there in the rain to see something so graceful.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Well, there's the first chapter! Hopefully I'll finish this series! ;D I love the idea of Selphie and Irvine together, I really do, but I just think the idea of Selphie and Zell is so much cuter! ::squeals:: okay, I'm gonna write the next chapter now. Review!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	2. White Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
Authors Note: Hahah! One review! O_o;; Usually people aren't excited about that, but I sure as hell am. ::nodnod:: Okay. I realized the last chapter was rather short, so I'll try my best to make this one longer. I promise! Just keep the reviews coming!  
  
Once again, I will say this is a Zellphie fic. I love Selvine's just fine, but I wanna write a Zellphie. :\ so... yeah. Enjoy the fic! I don't own any of them! X_x Except for the idea to this fic... that's all I own.  
  
*** Ch. 2 - White Rose ***  
  
Selphie crawled into bed, a satisfied smile on her face. She got to see her rainbow and the rain stopped. Two great things in one day! Oh, she couldn't forget how Zell had also treated her to a 'dinner' of hotdogs. Although it wasn't the greatest thing in the world (being he ate just about every hotdog) it was still the thought that counted.  
  
She fluffed up her pillow then fell back on it, her gaze traveling over to the picture of their group on her dresser. Rinoa stood by Squall, clinging to him. Squall was trying to look annoyed, but even he couldn't hide his, although tiny, smile from the camera. Quistis was holding Selphie is a loving headlock and Irvine was reaching out, putting his cowboy hat on Selphie's head. Zell was standing somewhat in front of Irvine, half a hotdog protruding from his mouth and a great grin still visible on his face.  
  
She couldn't help but laugh at the picture. Rinoa had practically replaced Seifer in their orphanage group, but that was all right. No one really knew where Seifer was anyway. Selphie let out a sneeze then rubbed her nose. "I must be getting sick..." she muttered to herself before rolling onto her side and closing those heavy eyelids of hers. Soon her mind was swimming in the clouds and her dreams were sweet as candy.  
  
***~***  
  
The next morning Selphie was late at getting up. The group was supposed to meet at the Quad before breakfast, but Selphie was late, and Selphie was usually never late. Squall was pacing back and forth with Rinoa following behind him like a little chick following its mother.  
  
"Where could she be? You sure she's all right? Maybe she's at the Front Gate again," Rinoa was just rambling on in worry for her friend, but Zell cut in.  
  
"She's not at the Front Gate. It isn't raining." He spoke as if they would know what he was talking about. Momentarily he had forgotten that not all of them were there the other day. "Erm... never mind." And off he was.  
  
"Zell, where ya' goin'?" Irvine watched the smaller boy shrug and continue off. With a heavy sigh, Irvine turned to the others and gave a lopsided smile. "I guess he knows where she is..?" Weak reasoning, but a reason nonetheless.  
  
Zell jogged down the dorm halls until he came to the door with a yellow happy face taped to the front. Selphie's room, obviously. His knuckles rapped lightly on the surface. There was no answer. With a frown, he turned the knob and pushed the door open gently. It seemed Selphie wasn't afraid of anyone invading her room. With a sigh he stepped in and shut the door quietly behind himself.  
  
"Selphie? 'Ey, Selph? Are you alright?" he tried asking her curled up form in the bed. When he got no response, he stepped closer till he was right next to her, one gloved hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "Selph? You need it get up. It's past 7 already," he tried again. She still wasn't getting up.  
  
He was about to shake her up when she suddenly started coughing. When the coughing stopped, she groaned and her body turned just enough so she could look up at Zell. "Zell..? Aw, you came to wake me up?" she forced a smile before sitting up. A girl in her pajamas was not what he was supposed to be looking at, even if it was a friend. He turned around with a blush and suddenly found his feet to be the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
He cleared his throat then sucked in a breath and turned back around, pulling his right glove off and pressing his hand to her forehead, doing his best to ignore anything below her chin. "Selphie!" He cried out as his hand recoiled from her.  
  
She jumped at his shout of her name and put a hand to her head. "Don't yell, Zell." Then she giggled lightly. "I rhyme..." her voice was soft, but it was heard before she fell back on the bed.  
  
"Ah! Selphie! No-no-no!" He was freaking out. Never had he had to care for anyone who was sick. One arm slid under her knees and the other went under her shoulders before he lifted her up and scampered out of the room and down to the infirmary. Of course he got some odd stares from others, but he didn't care. His Selphie was sick and he had absolutely no idea what to do. 'My Selphie..?' but he didn't think about it long.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki glanced over at Zell with Selphie in his arms, one eyebrow raising at the frantic look he held. She stood from her desk, her palms resting on the desktop. "What's the problem Zell? Did something happen to Selphie?" she questioned calmly. Zell frowned and held Selphie out.  
  
"She's burning up, coughing, doesn't look good, weak, help!" he scrambled his words together while hopping from one foot to the other. Dr. Kadowaki nodded and walked around, taking Selphie out of Zell's arms and laying her down gently on one of her beds.  
  
"Zell, you can go now. I'll take care of her, don't worry." Dr. Kadowaki looked over at Zell, inspecting the look he held in his eyes. He took a deep breath then nodded and went back out to the Quad to see the rest of them still standing there. They all turned to look up at him and he waved weakly.  
  
"Ah... Selphie got sick. She's in the infirmary," he spoke with a shaky voice. He was trying to keep his cool in front of the others, but Quistis' little laugh told him he wasn't doing a very good job.  
  
// "Ah! Matwon! Matwon! Sephy's sick! She's got a... a oven forehead! And... and she's coughing lots!" The little Zell was tugging wildly at Matron's apron. Matron smiled calmly down at Zell then walked to the children's room, sitting on the edge of Selphie's bed and putting her hand on her forehead.  
  
"Well, it looks like she has a fever. But don't worry Zell, I'll take care of her. You go out and play with the others now, okay?" She smiled down at the frantic Zell and shooed him out with her hands.  
  
Zell walked over to the others and flailed his arms around. "Sephy's sick, but Matwon's gonna take care of her!" He was trying to look cooler than he had before. Little Quistis snickered at him and he knew he failed. \\  
  
***~***  
  
Later that day, Zell stepped into the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki pointed to the room she had placed Selphie in earlier and he smiled at her before walking in. Selphie lay in the bed, a smile on her face as she looked over at Zell.  
  
"Hey, Selph. How ya' feeling?" He asked quietly, as if she would break if he was even one octave louder. She shrugged and sat up, leaning back against the wall.  
  
"I'm alright. Dr. Kadowaki said it's just a cold, so I'll be okay-"  
  
"-With lots of rest and fluids," Dr. Kadowaki interrupted. "Zell, if you would be so kind, take the lady back to her room and make sure she takes care of herself, alright?"  
  
Zell nodded as Selphie crawled out of the bed, standing up on her feet and leaning over on Zell's shoulder. "Carry me, caretaker." She giggled as a light shade of pink crept up onto his cheeks.  
  
"Are you crazy?" he practically shouted as she started laughing again. He stormed out like a child, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Selphie shrugged at the still chuckling Doctor and left with a wave, only to stop at the sight of Zell standing there.  
  
"C'mon..." he grumbled under his breath, turning his back to her. "Get on, already. But this is the only ti-agh!" he wasn't able to finish as the bubbly girl leapt onto his back, her arms draping lightly around his neck. Zell sighed in defeat and put his hands under her thighs to keep her up before walking off to the dorms.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
Yay! I got the second chapter done! :D Be proud of me! I started running out of ideas... and I think this chapter got a little mushy. The chapter wasn't that long either. I'll try my hardest for the next chapter! I promise! ::dances:: Don't forget to review!  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	3. Blue Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
Author's Note: It seems I've been writing Selphie's orphanage name wrong. x_x; Okay, from now on I'll be putting it right!  
  
I already have the end of this fic thought up, but I don't want to write it yet! ;_; I still have to think of the other parts. As we can see, I'm at a writer's block. I'm also going to try to make this chapter longer... along with explaining the relationship of Selphie and Irvine in here. .; So that... it'll be okay for Zell and Selphie... Okay, I'll shut up now. On to the fic!  
  
*** Ch. 3 - Blue Rose ***  
  
Zell kicked the door open and trudged in slowly, still holding Selphie up on his back. He made his way to the bed and turned around before dropping her down on the mattress.  
  
Selphie giggled as she dove under the covers, pulling them up to her chin. "Read me a story!" she joked. Zell sighed and walked off to the bathroom, coming out moments later with a glass of water. He set it on her dresser then sat down on the edge of her bed.  
  
"Zell doesn't know any good stories," he grumbled slightly, speaking in third person. Selphie stuck her lower lip out in a pout, but only for a second before smiling again.  
  
"Okay, then Zell can tell me his romantic life with that Library Girl." She sat herself up and leaned back on the wall, emerald gaze locked on the tattoo painted onto Zell's face. His eyebrows knitted together in a soft frown before he turned to face her.  
  
"What are you talking about? I have no romantic life with the Library Girl."  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
"No. I. Don't."  
  
"Yes. You. Do. What's with the flirting on the garden's message board, then? Hmm?"  
  
Zell opened his mouth to reply, but it snapped shut as he tried to think back to any flirting. "I'm not flirting with her on the message board. Besides, how lame would that be if I were?" One eyebrow raised in question as he rest his elbows on his knees.  
  
Selphie thought for a second before shrugging. "Very lame. Pathetically lame. Stupidly-mega-lame. Horen-"  
  
"Okay, I got it! Sheesh... We're not flirting anyway," he grumbled. He shot her a 'look' as she started giggling. "What now?"  
  
"Well, you may not be flirting with her, but she's flirting with you! Can't you see?" Her hand covered her mouth as she continued to laugh.  
  
"Agh! There is no flirting!" His left hand raised to brush through his hair, only to have it bounce back to its usual style. In a desperate attempt to change the victim from himself to her, he continued, "What about you and Irvine? What do you two have going on?"  
  
Selphie stopped laughing and blinked a few times before letting her hands rest in her lap. "We have nothing going on. I mean, we talked about it... the idea of us being together. But we agreed that it wouldn't work. I think he'll do better with someone more sophisticated, like Quisty."  
  
Zell let out a "hn" and nodded, elbows back on his knees and chin resting in the palms of his hands. Selphie watched him for a few seconds before jumping forward, her arms wrapping around his shoulders tightly and pretty much just tackling him down to the floor, blankets and all.  
  
"Ack! What are you doing??" He started struggling beneath the girl wrapped up in blankets, only to tangle himself up in them as well.  
  
"Zelly-poo needs a hug!" She giggled insanely then rolled off to the side, yet not getting very far thanks to the blankets wrapping both their legs together.  
  
"'Zelly-poo' needs freedom!" he gasped out as he tried to crawl out of the ties that held them. When his attempts only wrapped them up further, he decided to settle with lying there on the floor, laughing alongside the smaller girl beside him.  
  
Their laughs soon died down and Zell found himself staring at her. Her smile, always there, her eyes sparkling with glee, the warmth her body gave off... He immediately shook his head and tried to ignore his racing heart. 'What's happening to me?' his mind shouted out any possible explanation, but nothing was actually being heard.  
  
// "Wah!! Sefie! What are you doing? Trying to kill me??" Little Zell cried out in surprise as Little Selphie jumped him. The two had gone tumbling down the hill in Selphie's laughs and Zell's cries.  
  
Selphie smiled down at him and flicked at his hair. "Zelly-poo needed a hug! Queen Sefie gave him a hug!" She started giggling again before rolling off, her arms holding her stomach as she kept on laughing. Zell frowned and sat up, his arms crossing over his chest.  
  
"I don't need hugs! They're too girly!" he pouted off to the side. There was another tackle and Zell found himself eating dirt with Selphie on his back.  
  
"Aw, you don't like hugs? You should!" she started laughing again as Zell started to kick and struggle. She fell off and Zell ran off crying, "Sefie- cooties! Sefie-cooties! Matwon! Help! I've got Sefie-cooties!!" \\  
  
Her body suddenly began to shake as she started coughing again, which was followed up with a little sneeze (that made her seem oh-so adorable). Zell smiled softly and carefully untangled the blankets before lifting her up and laying her down on the bed, tucking her in gently.  
  
"Get some rest and drink water, okay? I'll come back later to check on you," he practically ordered before gently 'petting' her hair. She smiled up at him tiredly then shut her eyes and dozed off to sleep. Zell sighed and left the room.  
  
***~***  
  
When he reached his own room, he shut the door and leaned back against it, sliding down to the floor with his arms draped around his own knees. "She's gonna wear me out..." he grumbled to himself before standing up and stumbling off to his bed.  
  
Thinking back to their conversation, he felt himself smile. She wasn't dating Irvine. She wasn't dating anyone. Though he didn't really understand why it was making him smile, he didn't really care to think into it too much. He wanted to do something for her, though. Something sweet that let her know he cared... somewhat.  
  
Then an idea came to mind. He was back on his feet and racing out the door and down to the Parking Lot. He leapt into a car and (given every Garden car had the keys in it already) started down the road to Balamb. This was a great idea! Hopefully no one had thought of it before so he could take credit.  
  
***~***  
  
Selphie heard a knock at her door and her eyes slowly opened. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before calling out, "Come in, it's open." The door opened and Irvine stepped in, giving her a little tip of the hat.  
  
"'Ey there, little lady." He smiled, pulling the chair out from the desk and sitting down beside her bed. "How ya' feeling?"  
  
Selphie smiled at him before giving a light shrug. "I've been better. Zell's taking care of me." She pointed to the picture on the desk of their group, as if he had forgotten who Zell was. Irvine nodded and leaned back in the chair.  
  
"That's good. Don't want our little sunflower getting too sick to take care of the Garden Festival anymore, now do we?" He laughed softly, as if it were a personal joke of his then reached over and ruffled her hair some.  
  
She let out a little squeak at the hair ruffling, then reached up and grabbed hold of his hand, pulling it down in front of her. She looked down at both her hands holding his larger one and smiled. "Have you ever regretted the fact that we didn't get together?"  
  
Irvine blinked at her sudden question. This wasn't anything like Selphie, and she knew that they had talked about this before. "Sometimes..." he answered truthfully, but before she could respond, he kept going. "But then you wouldn't have a chance to be with someone who truly deserves you."  
  
Those green eyes of hers widened in confusion as he slid his hand out of hers and stood up, placing the chair back in its place.  
  
"What?" She was like a puppy, looking up at him like that. He grinned down at her and gave her hair another ruffle before turning to the door.  
  
"Don't worry about it, you'll find out later anyway," he called back before shutting the door.  
  
***~***  
  
Zell came running back into the garden, something rather large held behind his back. He came up to Selphie's door and took a deep breath before pushing it open. Selphie was already sitting up, looking down at the picture in her hands.  
  
"Selphie?" he asked softly as he came closer. Her gaze shot up and she quickly put the picture back in its place before smiling and giving him a little wave.  
  
He watched her for a few more seconds before smiling and pulling out what was behind. Selphie's eyes widened and immediately her smile grew, tenfold. He held out a bundle of roses, pairs in each color of the rainbow with white roses around the outside. "These are for you, in hopes that you'll get better faster."  
  
Selphie squealed in delight and took the roses gratefully, already able to smell the wonderful fragrance. Zell sat down beside her, crimson shading his cheeks. "I'll be here for you... until the last rose in that bouquet dies," he said quietly.  
  
At first the spunky girl froze. 'Until the last rose dies..? Why only until then?' she asked herself. There was a sad look in her eyes as her fingers gently ran over the petals of each rose. Then her eyes shot up as her fingers stopped over one of the red roses. She touched each rose then felt herself start to laugh, even as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes.  
  
She gently set the roses beside herself then jumped out and hugged him tightly, though this time they stayed on the bed. "Thank you so much, Zell!" she cried out. He awkwardly put his arms around her waist and they sat like that till Selphie slowly pulled back just enough so she could look into those shy eyes of his. Her heart was racing, his heart was racing, but she immediately let go of him and leaned back in the bed. "G'nite-nite, Zell. Thank you..." she whispered as he got up and left.  
  
She was so happy. He would always be there for her. You know why?  
  
One of each rose was fake.  
  
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So how did you like that chapter? I think my favorite part is the last one. :D ::squeals:: It's so cute! I wish somebody would do that for me... ::whimper:: Oh well. It's adorable nonetheless. So, keep on reviewing! Tell me if you liked it or not, 'kay? Oh, don't worry, 'To The Last Rose' isn't finished yet! They hafta kiss at some point, right? ;D  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	4. Purple Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
Author's Note: Silk... Fake... Same idea. .; Yes, I am finally writing the next chapter! I still have no idea what to put though. x_x I kinda just wanna get straight to the cute ending, but I can't. ::sigh:: Okay. Well, I'm happy with my reviews, so I'll keep my 'fans' happy by continuing! ::skitters off, stage left::  
  
*** Chapter 4 - Purple Rose ***  
  
The next morning, Zell came knocking lightly on Selphie's door. When he received no answer, he pushed the door open and poked his head in to look around. He spotted her still in bed, sound asleep. With a smile, he stepped in and shut the door quietly behind himself. He silently made his way to her bed and sat down gently, one hand reaching out to brush a few strands of hair from her face.  
  
"What are you doing to me..?" he asked quietly as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. Somehow, even as she slept, those strands continued to hold their flip.  
  
She murmured something that sounded a lot like 'no more' in her sleep, but Zell couldn't be sure. With a smile he placed his hands at either side of her sleeping form and leaned over, placing a light kiss to the top of her head. For some reason, he felt unsatisfied, but he couldn't think about it for long when a little groan came from the sleeping angel.  
  
His body jolted upward and he quickly got back on his feet, taking a few steps back. "Ah, I'm sorry, Selphie. I didn't mean to wake you up. I just came in to check on you and I was trying to be quiet..." He looked off to the side guiltily, one hand rubbing the back of his head.  
  
She laughed weakly and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and covering a yawn before speaking. "It's okay, I need to start getting up anyway. Can't sleep through the whole day, right?" She smiled over at him and he felt himself blush.  
  
"Erm... yeah... right," he managed to grumble out before turning to the door. "Well, I just wanted to check up on you. Since you seem to be doing fine I'll just be leaving." He was halfway out the door before he heard her calling out to him.  
  
"Zell, wait! Can't you stick around a little longer? I'm gonna get bored here all by myself." When Zell turned to look, he was surprised to find the largest, wateriest (word..?) eyes in the world staring at him, lower lip out and trembling as if she were going to cry.  
  
He let out a few sounds as if he were trying to think of an excuse to leave, but the face was getting to him and he finally threw his hands up in the air in defeat and came back into the room, making sure to shut the door behind him.  
  
Selphie smiled happily, watching as he sat down beside her on the bed. "So, uh... How've you been feeling lately..?" his sad attempt at a conversation was enough to get Selphie talking again.  
  
"I'm feeling much better, thanks to your care! Yesterday I almost got up and went to the Training Center, but I thought 'nah, don't feel like it' and went back to bed, but that was okay 'cause I had a nice dream. Plus, if I had gotten up and left for the Training Center, then it might have changed everything now and I wouldn't be here talking to you!"  
  
Zell just stared at her. How could one question turn to something else? He sighed and shook his head, his gaze soon falling to the carpet. Silence fell over the two for a few minutes. He could feel Selphie squirm in the silence and opened his mouth to say something, but the growling of his stomach silenced him.  
  
He blushed in embarrassment as Selphie giggled. "You hungry? Alright then, we'll go eat!" She quickly hopped out of bed and went to her closet, opening it and pushing her clothes around. "What to wear, what to wear..."  
  
Zell blinked a few times before standing and walking over to her. "Selphie," he reached over and placed a hand to her forehead. "You still have a fever, you shouldn't be out of bed." Selphie turned around in an instant and hugged him.  
  
"It's okay! I'm getting hungry anyway, and if we're both hungry, then there's no point of staying in here, right? Besides, I haven't been out of my room for a while, I can't stay cooped up in here forever." Her logic always left Zell confused.  
  
She turned back to her clothes and pulled out the familiar yellow jumper. "Alright! Zell, out. You can't watch a lady dress," she held the yellow jumper in one hand and shooed him out with the other, making sure to shut the door once he was out.  
  
Zell just stood there, stupidly staring at the smiley face on the door until it opened again. Selphie smiled at him and hooked her arm into his. "Let's go!" she pointed out towards where she figured the Cafeteria was, as if they were going on a journey.  
  
***~***  
  
The line was pretty short, and soon enough both Zell and Selphie were seated, Zell with his hotdogs and Selphie with a salad and juice. Their breakfast was silent, besides the noise of others that occupied tables nearby. Selphie stared at Zell as he stuffed one hotdog in after the other.  
  
"Erm, Zell... You're gonna choke if you keep eating that fast. And if you don't choke, you're gonna at least get a stomach ache." She glanced around nervously, hoping no one else noticed his monstrous eating habit. Lucky for her, everyone seemed to be busy with their own things.  
  
Soon enough, Zell turned an odd shade of blue and grabbed Selphie's juice, chugging it down and letting out a deep breath. "Gah! I thought I was gonna die!" He put his head down on the table and let out a few more breaths. Selphie laughed and picked up her now empty juice box.  
  
"It's great that you're alive, but now I don't have any juice," she gave a little whimper, and as soon as it came out, Zell was on his feet.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'll go get you another one!" He was already turning to run off, but a small hand resting on his arm stopped him.  
  
"It's okay," she laughed a bit before continuing, "I can survive without it. Remember? I'm already feeling much better, I'm sure I don't need a drink every five seconds."  
  
He stared down at her for a bit longer before nodding. It took a few more seconds for them to speak again. "Erm... You wanna go do something? We could go to the Library, if you want." His eyes turn downcast as he kicked lightly at the ground.  
  
Selphie smiled and stood up, her arm hooking back into his as she started walking off, pulling him along with her. "Alright than, off to the Library we go!"  
  
***~***  
  
As soon as they stepped into the library Selphie felt a shiver run up her spine. Someone was glaring at her. She timidly glanced over to the counter and saw the pigtailed girl staring at her. 'That could be bad...' she thought to herself before pulling her arm out from Zell's.  
  
"I'm gonna go check out the romance section. I'll be right back, okay?" She skipped off to the shelves marked 'Romance' without even waiting for a response. Zell stood there, watching her back for a minute or so before a small hand on his shoulder turned his attention away.  
  
"Zell! You haven't been responding to my messages on the board lately. Is there something wrong?" the girl with the pigtail asked innocently, her hands clasping behind her back. Zell shook his head and pointed over to Selphie.  
  
"I've been taking care of Selphie lately, so I haven't had time to go onto the board." It was a slight lie, given that ever since Selphie had questioned him about his relationship with the library girl he had been avoiding the message boards.  
  
"Aw, well then you should just ditch her. Besides, she looks like she's doing fine now anyway." The girl clung to his arm and smiled up at him.  
  
Selphie frowned at the shelves, hating them for hiding her favorite romance novel from her. With a defeated sigh, she turned to see the library girl clinging to a rather distressed looking Zell. He had this look as if he were pleading for help from anyone, and so at that moment she proclaimed herself as Super Selphie.  
  
She put on her most angered look possible and stomped over to Zell and the Library Girl, her arms closing around Zell's other arm. "Excuse me, but what are you doing?" She practically growled at the girl.  
  
The library girl blinked in surprise at Selphie then held on tighter to Zell. "None of your business. Why don't you go off and play with someone else?" Every guy in the library turned as if there were mental hissing and cat screams coming from the two girls.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. You should take your hands off of my Zell now. He is, afterall, my boyfriend," Selphie deadpanned.  
  
The other girls' eyes widened in shock and she pulled away from Zell to look up at him. He had an equally shocked look on his face as he stared down at Selphie.  
  
"Is-... Is this true?" she stammered out.  
  
Zell didn't move, his mind was still trying to sort out what was happening.  
  
"Yeah, it's true. So move along and tend to your 'customers'," Selphie continued with the most sugarcoated tone she could put on. And with that, she pulled Zell out.  
  
Selphie let go of Zell once they reached the dorm halls and let out a heavy sigh. "I hate being mean to people. It makes me feel so horrible." Her head lowered and she settled with staring down at the ground.  
  
Zell finally snapped out of it and put his hands on Selphie's shoulders. "It's alright, Selphie. Thank you for... erm... saving me," he managed to say to the downhearted girl. She smiled back up at him then turned to her door and opened it.  
  
"It was no problem for Super Selphie! I can take on anything!" She laughed at herself then stepped into her room. "Well, Super Selphie needs rest if she's gonna be perfectly healthy tomorrow. See ya later, Zell." She stepped into her room and turned to smile once again to him.  
  
"Mm, I'll come check up on you later tonight, okay?" He put his hands into his back pockets and smiled goofily at her. She nodded and shut the door before crawling back into bed. She had been doing so much sleeping lately, Hyne knew she'd be wide awake for at least two days straight.  
  
***~***  
  
Later that night Zell came by her room again. He simply opened the door, not bothering to knock since it was never answered anyway. She was sitting up in bed, holding the bouquet of roses he had given her. He cleared his throat for attention, and smiled as he gained it immediately.  
  
"Ah! Zell! I didn't think you'd come by so soon!" She hurriedly put the roses back where they had been sitting and smiled innocently over at him.  
  
"You want me to leave?" He felt hurt at the idea of her wanting him gone, but he quickly shook the feeling out.  
  
"No, no. It's okay. I just wasn't expecting you," she scooted herself over as he sat down in his spot on her bed again. "I'm feeling much better now. You've been so kind, taking care of me and all," she spoke shyly, her gaze locked down on her twiddling thumbs.  
  
Zell smiled over at her and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I have to take care of you. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Besides, I owe it to the Garden if their chair of the Garden Festival didn't get better."  
  
Selphie blushed lightly but leaned over and rest her head lightly on his shoulder. Her eyes closed and she let out a sigh. "Stay here with me tonight." She wasn't asking him to. It was more like... ordering him to with kindness (?). Zell felt himself stiffen and he turned his head enough to look down at the top of her head.  
  
"Wh-what?" His voice was shaky and he didn't understand why his face felt so hot. Selphie's eyes opened so she could look up at him and she smiled gently.  
  
"Stay the night with me. It'll make me feel safer... please?" Those puppy eyes were back and he felt his heart warm.  
  
"Alright, alright..." he muttered. She squealed happily and scooted over once again, smiling as she watched him pull off his shoes and lay down beside her. Her arms encircled his left arm and she leaned her head against his shoulder again, her eyes closing as she felt the warmth from his body seeping in through the clothing and into her.  
  
Soon she fell asleep there and Zell found himself staring up at the ceiling, only doing his best to beat down the blush on his cheeks. His heart was racing uncomfortably in his chest and he managed to turn his body enough to face her while still allowing her to cling to his arm.  
  
'Why try to beat it?' he asked himself as his own eyes shut. His right arm shyly draped over her waist and he dozed off as well, holding Selphie's smaller form close to his.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Okay, this chapter is gonna give me cavities. o_o; As we can tell, I'm at a writers block. But don't worry! I'll overcome this beast soon! :D So... wait patiently and I'll have the next few chapters coming out. And if we're lucky, the next chapter will be much... much, much, much better than this one was. X_x; I'm embarrassed just to post this one up. Okay, I'm done. Review and give me some suggestions for things that could be in the upcoming chapters!  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	5. Green Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
A/N: o_o Just as a side note, I didn't mean to hint at any other couplings. X_x; Just Zell and Selphie. Yes, I am attempting to write again! ::stands proud:: ...okay, this is gonna suck. I'm gonna try to fix up the personality I had given the Library Girl in the last chapter. Erm. u.u; I always feel like I'm gonna end up disappointing you guys. ;_; Alright! ::deep breath:: I can do this! ::starts typing::  
  
*** Ch. 5 - Green Rose ***  
  
"Wake up, sleeping beauty..." Selphie's soft voice woke Zell in an instant, even if his reaction didn't exactly show it.  
  
He groaned in protest and rolled over. It was only when he heard the little squeal from Selphie that he realized he had her pinned beneath him. "Hm...? Oh god! Selphie, I'm so sorry!" He quickly sat up, only to realize that now he was just straddling her hips. "Ah!" He let out another cry and just decided to jump off to the side and hit the floor.  
  
Selphie sat up and glanced down at him, her cheeks tinted a beautiful shade of scarlet. Zell sat up slowly and rubbed the back of his head.  
  
"A-Are you... okay, Zell?" She asked out shakily. At first Zell thought she was stuttering with her words, but when he took the chance of looking up at her, he realized she was actually laughing!  
  
He 'hmphed' and stood up defiantly, arms crossing over his chest in a huff. "I'm fine." Although he tried to look confident and strong, his heart was racing in his chest and his own face betrayed him with a crimson blush.  
  
After a few minutes of a rather uncomfortable silence, Zell tied his shoes on and started for the door. "You get some more rest, I'll come by later," he grumbled before leaving her there alone.  
  
Selphie let out a sigh and leaned back in the bed, his sent still lingering in the warmth where he had been earlier beside her. She smiled as her eyes drifted shut, only in hopes of calming her pounding heart.  
  
***~***  
  
Zell started his walk towards the cafeteria, bent on getting something for himself and another something, anything, to bring back to Selphie. On his way, he overheard a trio of girls on their way to the Quad. He knew he shouldn't have listened, but when he heard his name, he just couldn't resist.  
  
"Didn't you hear? In the Library, yesterday, they made such a spectacle of it! Zell and Selphie are together!" the girl with the short brown hair exclaimed. The one with the ponytail nodded enthusiastically and the other girl with the long black hair clapped her hands together.  
  
"I knew they'd get together eventually! They're so cute... and so perfect together!" she started giggling, but came to a stop when she noticed Zell. "Erm... Don't you think..." and her voice lowered to a whisper so only her friends could hear.  
  
Zell frowned and continued walking as if he didn't care at all.  
  
"Zell?" The soft voice stopped him and he turned to see the library girl standing off to the side. Her gaze dropped shyly to the floor and she started toeing at the marble. "I... um, could we talk somewhere more private?" She chanced a look back up at him and smiled gratefully when he nodded.  
  
***~***  
  
Selphie yawned as she sat up, head turning from one side to the other as she glanced around her room. "Ah, that's right, Zell went out for a bit." She smiled and swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching her arms upwards before standing up and making her way to her closet.  
  
"Hm, what should I wear today? What would Zell like?" When did it matter what Zell liked? "Hum, dee, dum. I'll wear this!" she smiled as she pulled out a simple white tank top and pair of blue jean shorts. "Cute!" she squealed just as she started changing.  
  
Soon enough, she stepped out of her room, jean jacket covering the white tank top just in case it got cold. Selphie smiled and shut the door to her dorm before skipping down the hall of the dorms. On her way down she stopped by the Library, peeking in and asking around for the library girl.  
  
"I'm sorry. She left to go do something personal a few minutes ago. If you wait here, maybe she'll come back," were what all her responses equaled up to. Selphie sighed and put her forehead down on the counter.  
  
"No, I'll just go find her myself..." she mumbled as she stood back up. The guy blinked a few times, watching her with worry.  
  
"Would you like to leave a message for her if she comes back?" he asked, trying to help her in any way possible.  
  
Selphie waved a hand back and forth, dismissing his offer and started for the hall. "No, it's okay. I'll just find her sooner or later." She waved again and stepped out, only to poke her head back in a second later. "Actually, if you see her, just let her know Selphie came by, 'kay?" and with that she left.  
  
***~***  
  
Zell stood with the girl in the hall of the training center, neither speaking a word. It took a few minutes before Zell started. "So, what'd you want to talk to me about?"  
  
She glanced about nervously, as if making sure no one was around before turning back to him. "I wanted to... to apologize about yesterday. I didn't mean to be like that... And, I was hoping that you could tell Selphie I was sorry, too. I admire her, and I'd hate if we were to become enemies," she said softly, her eyes downcast.  
  
Zell smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to feel bad. Knowing Selphie, she probably feels just as bad as you," he said reassuringly. The library girl looked up at him with hopeful eyes and smiled happily.  
  
***~***  
  
Selphie started humming a rather happy tune as she skipped off towards the Training Center, hands clasped behind her back and her head tilting from one side to the other with her imaginary beat. She'd been in bed for two days, she needed to start doing something, and beating up Grats seemed to be a brilliant idea.  
  
As she started down the hall, she realized that there were people talking in the hall. Her humming came to a stop and her skipping had halted. She stood behind a plant and peeked around to see who it was.  
  
"Zell? And... the Library Girl! Oh, this would be a perfect chance to-" but then she saw it. He put his hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him, eyes practically sparkling. Selphie felt her heart fall. "...he wanted to go out with her? Well, it's okay. I guess I just made a mistake... It... doesn't matter..." she started whispering to herself as she watched the two.  
  
They started talking again, but Selphie didn't want to hear it.  
  
***~***  
  
"So, will you tell Selphie?" the Library Girl leaned back against the wall. "I'd feel a lot better if you did."  
  
Zell nodded and stood beside her, leaning back to stare at the wall. "Yeah, she'd need to know soon anyway, or else she'd be harboring the wrong feelings." He turned to smile at her then looked over to the green strip painted on the floor.  
  
There was a rustling in the plant off to the side and he quickly stood up straight, turning to see none other than Selphie standing there, looking over at him as if her entire world had crashed.  
  
"Selphie? Selphie, what are you-"  
  
"It's okay! I don't care..." she took a step back then turned around so she wouldn't have to face them. Why should she care so much anyway?  
  
The library girl stood up as well and stepped over next to Zell. "Selphie, wait a minute. You've got the wrong idea, I-!" But Selphie started running. She didn't want to hear anymore of it. It didn't matter to her anyway! It shouldn't have. So then what was the heavy feeling in her chest? As if it were weighing her down to the floor as she ran back to the dorms.  
  
Zell looked down at the Library Girl and she simply nodded for him to go. "She might have the wrong idea. Tell her for me, please?" Zell nodded and started off after her.  
  
***~***  
  
Selphie ran into her room and slammed the door shut behind herself, making sure to lock it this time. She didn't want to talk to him. It hurt, and she didn't even know why. "I shouldn't care, I don't care. It's not like we're actually together or anything," she reasoned with herself quietly.  
  
She gasped as a rapid knocking came to the door she leaned against. 'Please, don't let it be him. Anyone but him... Hyne, please,' she thought to herself. Ah, but Hyne hated her at the moment.  
  
"Selphie? Selphie it's me!" Zell started turning the knob, but soon came to realize she had finally decided to lock the door. 'Of all the times to-... agh!' "Selphie! Open the door... Please?" he spoke calmly. He heard a shifting and then a click. The door slowly came open, but came to a stop.  
  
Selphie trudged back to her bed and sat down, listening as the door shut again and the sound of his shoes on the carpet signified his coming closer. She felt the bed sink in behind her and did everything in her power not to fall back into him.  
  
"Selphie, look at me," he tried once, but she refused to turn. He let out a sigh and stared down at his hands. "Alright then, I'll talk to your back. We weren't doing anything," 'why should it matter? Selphie and I aren't... really a couple or anything...' "she just wanted to tell me she was sorry. She wanted me to tell you that she was sorry about everything that happened yesterday. She really looks up to you, Selphie. That's all she wanted, so..." he chanced to look up at her.  
  
She still refused to turn, but her voice finally did float back to him. "It's okay... I'm sorry for overreacting," she started, her knees dragging up as her arms wrapped around them to hug to her chest. "I guess I'm just being a baby about it all." She wanted to say more, but nothing came to mind.  
  
They sat in silence for a few seconds before Zell's arms wrapped lightly around Selphie's shoulders, and even her legs that she had continued to hug to herself. He held her against his chest, one leg hanging off the side of the bed and the other folding at her other side so she was trapped against him.  
  
Selphie could feel her cheeks burning up as his lips brushed against her ear in his whispering. "Don't worry, I'll always be here for you."  
  
She couldn't stop her racing heart, nor the thoughts that ran through her mind. 'I never doubted that he'd be there for me... why is he telling me this? Why so closely? Why am I feeling this way? It's... nice.'  
  
And so they remained like that for the time being, no one else existing in the world but them.  
  
*************************************************************  
  
Wee! Full of fluffyness! :D Didja like? I had no idea what to do, so I started eating Cheerios and BAM! The idea came... .; for all the cuteness... I'm sorry if it's too fluffy! Also, Zell's attitude suddenly seemed to change. O.o; ::bows:: Okay, so I tried to fix up the whole thing with the Library Girl... are we happier? No one's a bitch here! :D School starting back up tomorrow... so I'll start writing the last two chapters next weekend maybe. Or if I get no homework, sometime this week! ::dances:: Okay! Review, my friendly readers! ;D  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	6. Orange Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
A/N: Sorry I haven't been updated lately. ;_; Just... my computer totally screwed up and then a miracle came along and saved it. ;D Anyway. So yeah. Now, I have no idea what I'm going to be writing, so whatever comes out is going to be a surprise to both my readers (you) and me! :O yes... a surprise. We'll see what happens. .;  
  
*** Ch. 6 - Orange Rose ***  
  
Selphie blinked at the darkness as realization slowly sunk into her mind. Sitting in a dark room, on her bed, with a guy's arms around her, and no one else around to supervise... was wrong. Especially with a girl her age! Not like she was exceptionally young or anything, but still. She had an innocence to uphold!  
  
"Erm... Zell?" she turned her head slightly to catch his attention, only getting an 'mmf?' in response. At least she knew he was listening. There was a slight ruffling of the sheets before she pried herself from his embrace and turned to face him.  
  
He smiled at her and stood, holding his hand out to her. "Let's go for a walk, hm?"  
  
Selphie's lips parted to politely refuse, but she wasn't really given a choice. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up and into him, his other arm closing around her waist to steady her. She felt her heart race in her chest as she looked up at him. What was going on here? He released her shyly and they left the room together.  
  
The two were coming up to the Quad when Selphie tugged lightly at Zell's sleeve. "I wanna check up on the Garden Festival. Can we?" She started pulling him towards the Quad while awaiting his reply. He smiled at the girl and nodded, allowing her to pull him down the stairs and towards the stage.  
  
Once down, Selphie smiled happily and pulled herself up onto the stage, quickly making her way off to the end to check on wires and whatnot in the back. Zell waited patiently by the side, his eyes never leaving her.  
  
Zell slowly shook his head and tore his gaze away, leaning back on the stage with his elbows propped up on the platform. He didn't need to ask why he was always watching her now. He knew why. That didn't mean he would actually admit it to anyone, though. Just think about how much the poor boy would be teased!  
  
He could hear it already... "Zell and Selphie, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I- N-G..." how annoying... No one had grown out of that even now. It wasn't right. He'd be seen as weak, too caring, or even worse... the name 'Chicken- Wuss' would come back to haunt him. But when he looked back over at Selphie, all his worries fell away and he didn't care about anything else but her.  
  
Selphie felt the gaze on her back and she slowly turned around to look over at Zell. "Is something wrong? You haven't said anything since we left the room," she asked worriedly, stepping over to him and sitting down on the edge of the stage beside him.  
  
He smiled again and shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. Sorry for worrying you, Selphie. C'mon, let's go to Balamb," he replied, his body turning and his hands resting lightly on her waist only to lift her up off the stage and gently set her down in front of him.  
  
The blush that ran over the yellow angels cheeks was beautiful. If the world knew what Zell had in his mind, he would be shot. His hands slid away from her and back to his sides before he turned and went for the stairs with Selphie following closely behind.  
  
***~***  
  
The couple stepped into Balamb and past the Garage, heading straight for Zell's home. His arm draped over her shoulder as if it were to be there for all time, a small smile planted on his lips. Selphie kept her pretty blush painted onto her cheeks, emerald gaze dropped to the pavement the entire time.  
  
Zell gave her shoulder a light squeeze before pushing the door open to his home. "Ma! I'm home!" he called out, and just on cue, out came the motherly- plump woman from the other room, wiping her hands on her cream colored apron.  
  
"Zell! Oh, and you brought a friend!" She smiled happily and walked over to the two, quickly pulling the surprised Selphie out of Zell's grasp. "I remember you! You came with Zell and Squall when the Galbadian soldiers put us all on house arrest. We never got to thank you for your deeds!" she laughed heartily and pulled the smaller girl into a bear hug.  
  
"Oh!" There was a surprised look in Selphie's eyes as she stumbled into the woman then backwards when she was released. Zell reached out and caught her, holding her shoulders gently to steady her back onto her feet. Selphie laughed nervously and gave Mrs. Dincht a smile of her own. "It was no problem. I'm glad everyone's okay, now."  
  
Ma Dincht laughed again and went to her stove. "Are you kids hungry?"  
  
Did they look hungry? Zell shook his head and started tugging Selphie towards the door. "No, Ma. We were just coming by to visit. We aren't going to be staying long, but we'll come by and visit again, soon. I promise!"  
  
Selphie blinked in confusion as she was tugged out of the house and onto the paved roadway. "We?" she questioned, the thought not going through her head entirely.  
  
"Yes, we. Ma likes you, she'd be happy if you came back to see her." Zell smiled down at her then wrapped an arm around her shoulders again. "Now, c'mon." He started tugging her along again, something that she should have been doing instead.  
  
After a bit of protesting and a small argument, Selphie had a cone of vanilla ice cream in her hands, small pink tongue protruding past pink lips to lick at the cold food. Zell smiled down at her, patting the top of her head lightly. She grumbled up at him and licked again at her ice cream.  
  
"You didn't have to pay, Zell..." she murmured after a lick. He nodded and glanced ahead. "I know, but I wanted to. Besides, it was for you." He spoke his last sentence as if it meant the world. She blushed lightly and licked at the ice cream again. They passed by Zell's house again and the two glanced over to see Ma Dincht happily waving to them through the window.  
  
Selphie and Zell held similar nervous smiles as they waved back, then quickly turned and continued their walk in a faster pace. In the household, Mrs. Dincht laughed and shook her head at them before going back to the stove. "Those two... they make a cute couple."  
  
***~***  
  
The two re-entered Balamb Garden as Zell bit down on the bottom corner of the edible cone. Selphie hadn't wanted it, and so he took it from her and ate it. An indirect-kiss, per se. That had his heart beating rapidly at the thought.  
  
Selphie smiled up at him and skipped ahead of him. "I'm gonna go back to my room, but I'll see you later, okay?" What was she planning? Not even she knew what she was saying. "How about... around nine-ish in the Secret Place? I want to be able to talk to you with no one else around to-... erm, just no one else, bye!" She quickly fixed herself up and ran off, trying to hide the bright blush pooling into her cheeks.  
  
Zell stood there, mouth in mid-chew as he watched her run off. She wanted to meet him in the Secret Place. The place where students went to be after curfew. Where certain students would do certain things. As if his heart hadn't been racing fast enough, it just went into overdrive. He swallowed down the cone and glanced down at himself. Was he dressed for what he thought would go on? Probably not, but it wouldn't matter.  
  
Selphie reached her room and shut the door softly, taking a deep breath after her short run before walking to the bed and flopping, fast first, onto the mattress. What had she been thinking? Meet him at the Secret Place... what was her dirty mind doing? She sighed into the covers and turned over to stare up at the ceiling, the back of her right hand falling onto her forehead.  
  
There was a pause and she sat up in her bed. Her thin brows knitted together and her lips turned downward in a frown as she tried to think about it. Why did she want to meet him in the Secret Place? And at night, even? She shook her head and stood up, walking over to the mirror and staring at her reflection, which did nothing more but stare back at her.  
  
Her outfit, she didn't approve of her outfit. With a defeated sigh she trudged to her closet and pushed open the doors, glaring at her clothes. Nothing good. Another sigh and she stalked to her bed to just fall back onto it. Her clothing would have to do. Now all she had was to wait for the time to come.  
  
Her eyes shut and all she could see was Zell; smiling, laughing, talking, and holding her. Soon she found herself fantasizing about it. There they stood in the Secret Place, the forest far below them and the two so close. His arm came around her waist at first, then he turned and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. She would gasp in surprise and he would pull back from the hug, only to lean towards her. She'd lean towards him, eyes closing and-  
  
Selphie immediately shot up in the bed, her hands by her legs and her eyes wide. "Oh my god! I'm in love with Zell!"  
  
********************************************************  
  
A/N: I'm SO sorry it took so long! ;_; forgive me..? I really didn't mean for it to take so long... one more chapter and this fic will be over, though. It may be sad for you, but it's a rejoicing for me. I never realized how hard it was to keep up with a fanfic. Okay, one more chapter. Sorry again. This one's short and it took forever to get up. ::bows over and over again:: Please forgive me!!  
  
~o.wa.ri 


	7. Red Rose

To The Last Rose  
  
A/N: WAH!!! I'm finally updating!!! ;O!!! Last chapter! ::victory music plays:: finally... I've been caught up in so many things that I just completely forgot about 'To The Last Rose' I'm so sorry. Alright, I'll try to make this chapter a good one. ::nodnod:: Give me strength! ::gets to the story::  
  
*** Ch. 7 – Red Rose ***  
  
Nine hit and Zell stood patiently at the entrance of the Secret Place in the Training Area. Selphie was no where to be seen, but he knew she'd show up eventually. She would have to; she was the one that planned this after all.  
  
Gloved fingers gingerly ran over a bruise on his ribs and he winced at his own touch. That bruise would be Selphie's fault. He wasn't ready for that Grat... And it just came out of nowhere! How fair is that? But the point wasn't about being attacked unfairly; it was that Selphie wasn't there yet.  
  
There was a rustling in the bushes and Zell spun on his heel, expecting to see that Grat come popping out. He saw a flash of yellow and immediately relaxed. It was Selphie, it had to be Selphie. As soon as that thought came, something slammed into his bruised rib and sent him flying into the rocks.  
  
"Aw... shit. That hurt," he grumbled as he sat up. His eyes opened and soon enough, he was staring at a full-sized T-Rexaur. "This is not the time to be-" but that beast didn't want to hear what he had to say. Its oversized foot came down and crushed Zell further into the rocks, actually going far enough as to shatter the stone.  
  
Zell was in more pain than he could ever imagine.  
  
A half-scream half-roar came from the monster as it lunged at him. Zell shut his eyes and readied himself for the bite, but a voice from the background shouted over the scream-roar of the monster with one single word.  
  
"Rapture!"  
  
The T-Rexaur gave a roar of frustration as it was taken away from the humans.  
  
Zell groaned and sat up, one hand set on his ribs as if making sure they were still intact. He wouldn't be surprised if they had shattered into just as many pieces as the once-rock had behind him.  
  
That same voice came again, but it was much closer. "Curaga..." The warmth bled into his skin and suddenly all the hurt was gone. "Zell, are you okay? I told you to wait in the Secret Place, not outside of it!"  
  
Ah, Selphie was scolding him now... But he didn't mind. As soon as he felt he could move again, Zell reached up and wrapped his arms around the smaller girl, pulling her down into his lap and holding her close.  
  
Multiple shades of red painted over her cheeks before settling on a bright crimson. Selphie could feel her heart racing in her chest, both in fear and love for Zell. Those two never really did mix well, in her mind.  
  
After what felt like eternity, Zell released her and she helped him stand back onto his feat, a shy smile forming on her lips. The same lips that ran a shiver down Zell's spine and had him wanting her more than anything. Selphie took his wrist and pulled him into the Secret Place, quickly letting go of him and walking to the railing to look over at everything outside.  
  
"So, why'd you want to meet out here?" Zell watched her back for a few seconds before stepping over to stand beside her, arms crossing over his chest. There was a couple seconds of silence before she turned to look at him, hands folded in front of her and her body rocking back and forth on her heels.  
  
"I don't know why... I just wanted to be able to be with you without anyone else around..." Her gaze dropped to the floor and she let out a deep breath. "I guess... what I want to say is... Uhm..." How was she going to tell him? She liked him, he seemed to like her, why was this so hard?  
  
Zell felt his heart speed up as he reached forward, his hand gently cupping her face and lifting her chin to make her look at him again. "What are you afraid of?" he questioned softly, his heart breaking with the terrified look in her eyes.  
  
Heart break. She was afraid of heart break. His arms slowly wrapped around her small body and he pulled her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. He could feel her hands sliding up to rest on his chest as she leaned against him, and for once he felt that everything was right in the world. And so far, everything was.  
  
He pulled away just enough to look down at her. At first, he thought she was crying, but when she looked up at him, it was obvious that she was actually... giggling!  
  
"What's so funny, hm?" He smiled slightly, giving her arm a light pinch. Selphie couldn't help but squeak.  
  
"No, it's nothing. Just... I had a daydream about this, and so far it's going exactly as I thought it would." And she started to laugh again. For some reason, Selphie could find anything funny. Zell grinned and poked her in the side.  
  
"You had a daydream about us? I see..." Selphie's laughs stopped at the mischievous look in his eyes and a scarlet hue ran over her cheeks as he started to come closer. "Let's just see..." closer "how real..." even closer "your dream can come..." his lips were brushing hesitantly over hers as he finished his sentence, "to reality."  
  
And there it was, his lips pressing lightly to hers in a gentle, yet loving kiss. His arms slid further around her waist as her arms came up around his neck, turning that gentle kiss into passion.  
  
Selphie melted into his embrace and smiled as their lips parted. He smiled in return, ready to say the three words he wanted most. As he took a breath, she broke from his hold and skipped back and out of the Secret Area.  
  
"Well, g'night Zell!" She giggled as she turned and started skipping off, a grin on her flushed face. Zell sputtered in his spot and shook his head.  
  
"Wait a minute, where do you think you're going?" he shouted after her, waving his arms around as he sprinted off in a chase.  
  
For skipping, she was pretty fast. Already she was gone down the hallway to her dorm room. He ran down and made it to her door just as it closed, his fist pounding once on it. "Selphie..?" He heard her giggling behind the door and smiled softly. "Fine, I get it. Good night." He said in a loving tone as he walked off.  
  
Selphie let out a relieved sigh and leaned her back against the door. "Good night... I love you."  
  
********************************************************************  
  
A/N: It's finished!!! YES!! ::celebrates:: Now that I've read back on the entire story, I feel slightly ashamed. It's not as great as I could have made it, but I'm far too lazy to fix it. ._. We know I've been lazy... obviously.  
  
Sorry again. But it's finally finished. :D Dance!  
  
~o.wa.ri 


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